Most direct marketers understand the importance of
building credibility, particularly in acquisition
efforts. Too many don't understand that it has
become an incredibly difficult task.

Part of it is our own fault. The industry has used
deception and subterfuge to get response at the
expense of trust. In fact there is conflict within
one of the classic formulas for creative success:
AICDA. Great copywriter Milt Pierce added the “C”
for “Build Credibility” a few decades ago.

The problem is that the way you accomplish the first
“A” (Attract Attention) may severely limit your
ability to build credibility.

However, much of the problem of generating trust is
caused by societal trends.

In the old (pre-Enron) days, if your company had a
name known across the country, that was your
credibility. You didn't have to explain, prove your
company's financial stability. If your company was
not particularly well known, but you had a lot of
money, the route was celebrity endorsement. Although
that route is still favored by some, its
disadvantages became apparent years ago.

(In 1978, working for an agency that had Funk &
Wagnall's Wildlife Encyclopedia as an account, we
negotiated with the very popular Grizzly Adams for
an endorsement in our direct mail package. The test
performed beautifully. Then 'ol Grizzly
unfortunately free-based himself out of the
limelight and out of our direct mail campaign.)

In the old days, dm packages and mail order ads
carried sworn statements from auditors and
accountants. Now, no one would believe those
statements. So what's a company to do in the Age of
Disbelief, in an era of "Icon-Toppling" as Faith
Popcorn called it? That trend is still very much
alive in 2008. Consumers don’t trust any
institution; consumer confidence is down 20 points
over last year.

Before she streamlined her web site, here were some
of the implications of Icon-Toppling Ms. Popcorn
shared:

• "Wilt Chamberlain
expressed the essence of this Trend: 'No man
roots for Goliath.'" So if you're an 'underdog'
show your prospects how they benefit from that.

• "Skeptical consumers are ready to bring down
the long-accepted monuments of business,
government, celebrity and society."

• "Large companies no longer hold our trust.
Corporate behemoths like AT&T, Amex, and IBM are
scrambling to look small." So if you're a big
company, show a human face, admit fallibility.

• "Forget celebrity spokespeople: ads now
spotlight the unfamous, the wannabes and the
who-was-that's – even a couple of Real People –
to sell their wares."

• "A Yankelovich survey shows that customers
trust friends above experts when it comes to
product recommendations (65% trust friends, 27%
trust experts, 8% trust celebrities)." You can't
necessarily get a prospect's friends to give
testimonials, but neighbors, even people in the
same town, may help you build credibility. Use
photos of the testimonial-givers, even if
they're of poor quality.

One final thought: don't
assume you know what it is that will build
credibility among your various market segments. Talk
to your prospects and ask. If you don't have the
money for formal qualitative research, interact with
them personally.

Source: Adapted by Lee Marc Stein
from his book Street Smart Direct Marketing.